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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bore — to tire
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fine — all right
  15. cell — in biology
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fine — high quality
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com